A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods of Propagating Jasmine by Cuttings
Jasmine likes warmth and humidity, and grows best in a well-ventilated, semi-shaded environment. It is widely cultivated in southern China and around the world, and its main propagation methods include cuttings, layering and division. Today, let us introduce the method of propagating jasmine by cuttings!
The time for taking jasmine cuttings
1. Autumn cuttings: the time is July—August, and usually should not go beyond “End of Heat”. Cuttings taken in this period root quickly, are easy to manage, have a high survival rate, and do not affect the mother plant's flower production that year and the following year.
2. Spring cuttings: carried out in March or around “Qingming”. With careful management, the survival rate can still reach more than 90%.
3. Winter cuttings: jasmine is also sometimes propagated by cuttings in winter, but usually, without greenhouse conditions, the survival rate is very low.
Selection and preparation of cuttings
1. Cutting selection: it is best to choose robust, plump branches free of pests and diseases. Usually, one-year-old branches are used, that is, branches whose bark has already shown a mottled pattern are the most suitable. If they are too old, their regenerative ability is weak and they do not root or sprout easily. If they are too young and tender, they store few nutrients and rot easily.
2. Cutting pruning: cut the selected branches into sections about 10 cm long, that is, a section of branch with 3-4 pairs of leaves as a cutting. Make the lower cut about 0.2-0.3 cm from a node to encourage healing and rooting; make the upper cut about 0.5 cm from a node to prevent water loss from the cut and drying of the buds. The slant of the cut should preferably be 40-45 degrees.
3. Cutting preparation: after the cuttings are trimmed, they still need to be tidied up. Cut off all side branches, and the middle and lower leaves should also be removed to reduce water evaporation, avoid the sharp imbalance between water loss and uptake, and prevent death.
The cutting method for jasmine
1. Seedbed soil: it should be loose, fertile and well drained, with no stones or rubble. Before cutting, dig deeply to 35-40 cm, then apply 20-30% decomposed compost, mix it evenly and make raised beds with furrows, with the bed surface 90-100 cm and the furrow width 30 cm, to facilitate drainage and management.
2. Cutting method: when taking cuttings, insert them as soon as they are cut. To avoid “roughening” and damage to the bark at the lower end of the cutting, which affects healing, the “guide-hole” method is commonly used. First make a hole, then gently insert the cutting and firm it down. The insertion depth should be such that one node is exposed. Most of the rest goes into the soil to minimize the transpiration surface and expand the water-absorbing surface. Roots form after about 40-60 days.